Open Web AdvocacyJul 4, 2025

Google's Hotseat Hypocrisy 🫤 On iOS to comply with the Digital Markets Act, Apple puts the user’s chosen browser in the hotseat/dock. Google refuses to do the same on Android, leaving Chrome in the hotseat and undermining user choice.

That’s not DMA compliance!

Read our detailed analysis and see us ask Google directly at the EU DMA Workshop for Google.
https://open-web-advocacy.org/blog/googles-hotseat-hypocrisy/

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We stand with the smaller browser vendors who have raised concerns. Google’s refusal to implement a comparable measure on Android undermines the intent of the DMA.

We urge the European Commission to intervene and compel Google to comply through enforcement action.

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We dive in here:
https://open-web-advocacy.org/blog/googles-hotseat-hypocrisy/

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Show threadAlfonso Martínez de LizarrondoJul 4, 2025
@owa is there a standard API in android to change the apps in the dock?
I mean, every vendor might provide their own home screen app and changing the existing shortcut for the current default browser to the new one would require a standard API to apply the change in all those different apps.
For example I have three browsers in the dock, what should Android do when I change the default browser?
Show threadOpen Web AdvocacyJul 4, 2025
@alfonsoml So the DMA only applies to gatekeepers app's. i.e. Safari on iOS and Chrome on Android. Thus the change will only happen if Chrome is the default and in the dock. So if there's another browser in the hotseat, this wouldn't happen. i.e. Samsung browser in the hotseat. Think pixal devices which are totally under google's control